• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.281-289
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• 2022

As the aging of our society gradually deepens, the quality of the elderly care environment based on the elderly care model of the Silver Town space is gradually becoming the focus of everyone's attention. This study mainly studies and discusses the visual and behavioral characteristics of the elderly. In order to pay more attention to the special needs of the elderly in order to optimize the spatial environment, the design of visual experience design in the living environment of the elderly in Silver Town is designed. explore in depth Through this, the environment of the space is optimized so that the elderly can enjoy their old age in a comfortable environment. This study is based on visual psychology, environmental psychology, gerontology and other theories. Through the collection of related literature and field research on the elderly, the function and overall combination of the living environment of the elderly in Silver Town is studied, and the environment is organized. Based on the behavioral and visual needs of middle-aged and older people, a design method was proposed to strengthen the visual connection in space. In terms of visual experience, the lighting, colors, and materials of the environment are studied. Through a combination of theory and research and experiments, it is concluded that the elderly prefer plants with warm colors, high brightness colors, and geometric patterns. The design principle and design method of the visual experience in the Silver Town space are summarized.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.73-82
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• 2019

The satirical content of the absurd play, centered on Lee Keun-sam's play, represents the family image of a modern capitalist society where only duty is emphasized while the characters are lost in love with the family. They show humans becoming subordinate to economic logic as traditional relationships and family relationships change into material ones due to the rapid development of the economy. The narrator expresses the roles of the performer and the narrator together. It also presents the plot as a characteristic element of epic and absurd dramas, and directs actors as directors. It also foretells the events that will take place in the future, presents the inner consciousness of the characters in the play, and reduces and expands events and times. In terms of conflict, in order to fulfill the financial responsibility of their children, the professor translates them like a machine and the wife distributes the money they earn as they demand. The middle-aged professor and his wife are not willing to make a difference in the real world, so specific conflicts are not revealed. Therefore, no concrete conflict appears within this work. The plot of consisted of 22 epicentre compartments, consisting of a time frame from evening to the next morning. And no special events happen and show only one family's daily life. In addition, materials that show simple repetition of daily life such as newspapers, rice, birthdays, etc. are effectively showing the character of absurdity through repeated structure. The linguistic features of the absurd play focus on expressing anxiety, despair, fantasy and the sense of loss that the object's purpose has disappeared. The stage system avoids detailed portrayals of naturalist plays and creates a thoroughly simplified image that the theme of the play demands, which shows that the stage unit is also an important element that characterizes the absurdity of reflexes.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2017

Purpose: To assess the chronological changes of disease-related kyphosis after chemotherapy alone. Materials and Methods: A total of 101 children aged 2 to 15 years with spinal tuberculosis, accompanied by various stages of disease processes were enrolled for analysis. By utilizing the images in them, the growth plate condition and chronological changes of kyphosis after chemotherapy were analyzed at two points in time; the first assessment was at post-chemotherapy one-year and second at the final discharge. Results: Complete disc destruction in the cervical, dorsal and lumbosacral spines was observed in 2 out of 40 children (5.0%), 8 out of 30 children (26.7%), and 6 out of 31 children (19.4%), respectively. In those cases, the residual kyphosis inevitably developed. In the remaining children, the discs were intact or partially damaged. Among the 101 children kyphotic deformity was maintained without change in 20 children (19.8%). Kyphosis decreased in 14 children (13.9%), while it increased in 67 children (66.3%) with non-recoverably damaged growth plate. Conclusion: Although it is tentatively possible to predict the deformity progress or non-progress and spontaneous correction at the time of the initial treatment, its predictive accuracy is low. Therefore, assessment of the chronological changes should be performed at the end of chemotherapy. In children with progressive curve change, assessment of deformity should be continued until maturity.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.341-351
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• 2019

This study examines factors related to the safety of housing for elderly people. Because of the diverse problems that may occur due to aging, elderly residents may have special needs related to housing. To identify relevant factors, first, focus group interviews were conducted with six individuals aged 65 or older. Then, a Delphi survey was conducted on experts; this survey consisted of a questionnaire on factors related to the safety of housing for elderly people. Issues to address in the questionnaire were identified in the focus group interviews and also through an examination of literature published domestically and overseas. In the Delphi survey, opinions were collected from the experts; these opinions were then revised, collated, and analyzed. The factors identified in these steps were verified using a content validity index. As a result, a total of seven primary factors - outdoor environment, entrance, indoor environment, living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and restroom - and 23 sub-factors related to elderly people's housing safety were identified. The most frequently mentioned factors were indoor and outdoor stairs, safe flooring materials, and indoor thresholds. It is essential to identify the factors that most affect the safety of elderly people in their residences.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.574-583
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• 2023

Purpose: Gastric cancer (GC) is among the most prevalent and fatal cancers worldwide. National cancer screening programs in countries with high incidences of this disease provide medical aid beneficiaries with free-of-charge screening involving upper endoscopy to detect early-stage GC. However, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major disruptions to routine healthcare access. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the diagnosis, overall incidence, and stage distribution of GC. Materials and Methods: We identified patients in our hospital cancer registry who were diagnosed with GC between January 2018 and December 2021 and compared the cancer stage at diagnosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age and sex. The years 2018 and 2019 were defined as the "before COVID" period, and the years 2020 and 2021 as the "during COVID" period. Results: Overall, 10,875 patients were evaluated; 6,535 and 4,340 patients were diagnosed before and during the COVID-19 period, respectively. The number of diagnoses was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic (189 patients/month vs. 264 patients/month) than before it. Notably, the proportion of patients with stages 3 or 4 GC in 2021 was higher among men and patients aged ≥40 years. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall number of GC diagnoses decreased significantly in a single institute. Moreover, GCs were in more advanced stages at the time of diagnosis. Further studies are required to elucidate the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the delay in the detection of GC worldwide.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2024

Purpose: When performing nuclear medicine examinations, body wraps or plastic supports are used to support and immobilize the patient's upper extremities to prevent patient safety accidents. However, the existing plastic supports compromised patient and staff safety, including finger entrapment and falls. Moreover, the body wrap provided by manufacturers compromised image quality such as upper extremities cutoff during whole body bone scan. Therefore, a new design of body wrap was developed to improve the issue, and this study aims to evaluate the usability of this medical body wrap. Materials and Methods: To evaluate the usability of the newly designed medical body wrap, a quality assessment of whole body bone scan images and a user satisfaction survey were conducted. Adult patients (male:female=129:152, age: 60.3±12.4 years, BMI: 24.0±4.2) aged 16 years or older who underwent a whole body bone scan during two periods: June to July 2022 (before improvement, n=139) and June to July 2023 (after improvement, n=142) were randomly selected for image quality evaluation. Five radiotechnologists visually evaluated the posterior view of the whole body bone image, including the left and right elbow (2 points), arm (2 points), whether the hand is extended (2 points), whether the hand is included (2 points), and the number of visible fingers (10 points), with a total of 18 points, which were converted to 100 points and analyzed for difference before and after improvement using an independent sample t-test. The user satisfaction questionnaire was evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale among 16 radiotechnologists from three general hospitals who experienced the new body wrap. Results: The image quality assessment was 82.0±13.8 before the improvement and 89.3±10.1 after the improvement, an average of 7.3 points higher, with a statistically significant difference (t=5.02, p<0.01). The user satisfaction survey showed an overall satisfaction rating of 4.1±0.8 for ease of use, 3.8±0.7 for scan preparation time, 3.9±0.7 for patient safety, 3.8±1.2 for scan accuracy, and 4.2±0.7 for recommendation (87.5% questionnaire response rate). Conclusion: The developed body wrap showed higher image quality and user satisfaction compared to the old method. Considering these results, it is deemed that the new body wrap may be more useful than existing methods.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.1185-1193
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• 2021

Objective: Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK) is the second-most common but extremely rare primary renal malignancy in children after Wilms' tumor. The aims of this study were to evaluate the imaging features that could distinguish between CCSK and Wilms' tumor and to assess the features with diagnostic value for identifying CCSK. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the initial contrast-enhanced abdominal-pelvic CT scans of children with CCSK and Wilms' tumor between 2010 to 2019. Fifty-eight children (32 males and 26 females; age, 0.3-10 years), 7 with CCSK, and 51 with Wilms' tumor, were included. The maximum tumor diameter, presence of engorged perinephric vessels, maximum density of the tumor (Tmax) of the enhancing solid portion, paraspinal muscle, contralateral renal vein density, and density ratios (Tmax/muscle and Tmax/vein) were analyzed on the renal parenchymal phase of contrast-enhanced CT. Fisher's exact tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted to analyze the categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were also performed. Results: The age, sex, and tumor diameter did not differ between the two groups. Engorged perinephric vessels were more common in patients in the CCSK group (71% [5/7] vs. 16% [8/51], p = 0.005). Tmax (median, 148.0 vs. 111.0 Hounsfield unit, p = 0.004), Tmax/muscle (median, 2.64 vs. 1.67, p = 0.002), and Tmax/vein (median, 0.94 vs. 0.59, p = 0.002) were higher in the CCSK compared to the Wilms' group. Multiple logistic regression revealed that engorged vessels (odds ratio 13.615; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.770-104.730) and Tmax/muscle (odds ratio 5.881; 95% CI, 1.337-25.871) were significant predictors of CCSK. The cutoff values of Tmax/muscle (86% sensitivity, 77% specificity) and Tmax/vein (71% sensitivity, 86% specificity) for the diagnosis of CCSK were 1.97 and 0.76, respectively. Conclusion: Perinephric vessel engorgement and greater tumor enhancement (Tmax/muscle > 1.97 or Tmax/vein > 0.76) are helpful for differentiating between CCSK and Wilms' tumor in children aged below 10 years.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.1172-1184
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• 2021

Objective: The purposes of this study were to analyze the radiation doses for pediatric abdominopelvic and chest CT examinations from university hospitals in Korea and to establish the local diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) based on the body weight and size. Materials and Methods: At seven university hospitals in Korea, 2494 CT examinations of patients aged 15 years or younger (1625 abdominopelvic and 869 chest CT examinations) between January and December 2017 were analyzed in this study. CT scans were transferred to commercial automated dose management software for the analysis after being de-identified. DRLs were calculated after grouping the patients according to the body weight and effective diameter. DRLs were set at the 75th percentile of the distribution of each institution's typical values. Results: For body weights of 5, 15, 30, 50, and 80 kg, DRLs (volume CT dose index [CTDI_vol]) were 1.4, 2.2, 2.7, 4.0, and 4.7 mGy, respectively, for abdominopelvic CT and 1.2, 1.5, 2.3, 3.7, and 5.8 mGy, respectively, for chest CT. For effective diameters of < 13 cm, 14-16 cm, 17-20 cm, 21-24 cm, and > 24 cm, DRLs (size-specific dose estimates [SSDE]) were 4.1, 5.0, 5.7, 7.1, and 7.2 mGy, respectively, for abdominopelvic CT and 2.8, 4.6, 4.3, 5.3, and 7.5 mGy, respectively, for chest CT. SSDE was greater than CTDI_vol in all age groups. Overall, the local DRL was lower than DRLs in previously conducted dose surveys and other countries. Conclusion: Our study set local DRLs in pediatric abdominopelvic and chest CT examinations for the body weight and size. Further research involving more facilities and CT examinations is required to develop national DRLs and update the current DRLs.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.209-218
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• 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to develop educational content for a smartphone app on oral muscle training and examine its effects on the elderly population. Methods: A total of twelve training sessions were delivered through the smartphone app over a six-week period, from late August to early October 2023. Each session lasted approximately 60 minutes. Participants were followed up after the program. Results: The experimental group showed significant improvements in oral health before and after using the smartphone app. These improvements included decreased dental plaque (p<0.05) by 0.69 units, decreased gingivitis (p<0.001) by 0.99 units, decreased tongue plaque (p<0.01) by 1.11 units, increased salivary secretion rate (p<0.001) by 0.73 units, increased hard palate strength (p<0.001) by 5.25 units, and increased soft palate strength (p<0.01) by 6.82 units. Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed significant improvements in dental plaque (p<0.001), gingivitis (p<0.001), and tongue coating (p<0.01). Conclusions: This study found that oral muscle strengthening training using the smartphone app effectively improved oral health in the elderly. The developed app content has the potential to be a valuable tool for promoting oral health in this population within their daily routines. However, further efforts are needed to ensure clear communication and effective utilization of the training program through user training or educational materials.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.529-540
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• 2023

Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance and clinical outcomes of 2-mSv computed tomography (CT) and conventional-dose CT (CDCT), following radiology residents' interpretation of CT examinations for suspected appendicitis. Materials and Methods: Altogether, 3074 patients with suspected appendicitis aged 15-44 years (28 ± 9 years, 1672 females) from 20 hospitals were randomly assigned to the 2-mSv CT (n = 1535) or CDCT (n = 1539) groups in a pragmatic trial from December 2013 and August 2016. Overall, 107 radiology residents participated in the trial as readers in the form of daily practice after online training for 2-mSv CT. They made preliminary CT reports, which were later finalized by attending radiologists via addendum reports, for 640 and 657 patients in the 2-mSv CT and CDCT groups, respectively. We compared the diagnostic performance of the residents, discrepancies between preliminary and addendum reports, and clinical outcomes between the two groups. Results: Patient characteristics were similar between the 640 and 657 patients. Residents' diagnostic performance was not significantly different between the 2-mSv CT and CDCT groups, with a sensitivity of 96.0% and 97.1%, respectively (difference [95% confidence interval {CI}], -1.1% [-4.9%, 2.6%]; P = 0.69) and specificity of 93.2% and 93.1%, respectively (0.1% [-3.6%, 3.7%]; P > 0.99). The 2-mSv CT and CDCT groups did not significantly differ in discrepancies between the preliminary and addendum reports regarding the presence of appendicitis (3.3% vs. 5.2%; -1.9% [-4.2%, 0.4%]; P = 0.12) and alternative diagnosis (5.5% vs. 6.4%; -0.9% [-3.6%, 1.8%]; P = 0.56). The rates of perforated appendicitis (12.0% vs. 12.6%; -0.6% [-4.3%, 3.1%]; P = 0.81) and negative appendectomies (1.9% vs. 1.1%; 0.8% [-0.7%, 2.3%]; P = 0.33) were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: Diagnostic performance and clinical outcomes were not significantly different between the 2-mSv CT and CDCT groups following radiology residents' CT readings for suspected appendicitis.